Blockchain expert and University lecturer Joshua Ellul has been appointed the first chairman of the Malta Digital Innovation Authority, the government announced on Tuesday. 

Dr Ellul.

Dr Ellul, who lecturers at the University of Malta, is the director of the Centre for Distributed Ledger Technologies and has worked on research and development projects at IBM Research Zurich and Imperial College London.

He will appear before a parliamentary committee, to be grilled by MPs as part of a new system whereby people appointed to top government positions must pass parliament’s muster prior to taking up their roles.

In a statement announcing his appointment, parliamentary secretary Silvio Schembri said that he had asked for the position of MDIA chairperson to be added to a list of appointments which must be scrutinised by MPs, “to increase transparency and accountability”.

The MDIA is a newly-created regulatory body which will be responsible for overseeing businesses operating in the blockchain sector and other disruptive technology spaces.

Malta is the first country to create a regulatory framework for blockchain, with the government keen to become a key global player in the emerging sector.